(NOTE: The electronic text obtained from The Electronic Bible Society was
not completely corrected. EWTN has corrected all discovered errors.)
THE LITURGY OF THE BLESSED APOSTLES.
COMPOSED BY ST. ADAEUS AND ST. MARIS, TEACHERS OF THE EASTERNS.(1)
I.(2) First: Glory to God in the highest, etc.
Our Father which art in heaven.
Prayer.
Strengthen, O our Lord and God, our weakness through Thy mercy, that we
may administer the holy mystery which has been given for the renovation and
salvation of our degraded nature, through the mercies of Thy beloved Son
the Lord of all.
On common days.
Adored, glorified, lauded, celebrated, exalted, and blessed in heaven
and on earth, be the adorable and glorious name of Thine ever-glorious
Trinity, O Lord of all.
On common days they sing the Psalm (xv.), Lord, who shall dwell in Thy
tabernacle? entire with its canon,(3) of the mystery of the sacraments.
(Aloud.)
Who shall shout with joy? etc.
Prayer.
II. Before the resplendent throne of Thy majesty, O Lord, and the
exalted and sublime throne of Thy glory, and on the awful seat of the
strength of Thy love and the propiatory altar which Thy will hath
established, in the region of Thy pasture,(4) with thousands of cherubim
praising Thee, and ten thousands of seraphim sanctifying Thee, we draw
near, adore, thank, and glorify Thee always, O Lord of all.
On commemorations and Fridays.
Thy name, great and holy, illustrious and blessed, the blessed and
incomprehensible name of Thy glorious Trinity, and Thy kindness to our
race, we ought at all times to bless, adore, and glorify, O Lord of all.
Responsory(5) at the chancel, as above.
Who commanded, etc.
To the priest, etc.
Prayer.
How breathes in us, O our Lord and God, the sweet fragrance of the
sweetness of Thy love; illumined are our souls, through the knowledge of
Thy truth: may we be rendered worthy of receiving the manifestation of Thy
beloved from Thy holy heavens: there shall we render thanks unto Thee, and,
in the meantime, glorify Thee without ceasing in Thy Church, crowned and
filled with every aid and blessing, because Thou art Lord and Father,
Creator of all.
III. Prayer of Incense.
We shall repeat the hymn to Thy glorious Trinity, O Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost.
On fast-days.
And on account, etc.
At the commemoration of saints.
Thou, O Lord, art truly the raiser up of our bodies: Thou art the good
Saviour of our souls, and the secure preserver of our life; and we ought to
thank Thee continually, to adore and glorify Thee, O Lord of all.
At the lessons.(6)
Holy art Thou, worthy of praise, mighty, immortal, who dwellest in the
holies, and Thy will resteth in them: have regard unto us, O Lord; be
merciful unto us, and pity us, as Thou art our helper in all circumstances,
O Lord of all.
IV. At the apostle.(7)
Enlighten, O our Lord and God, the movements of our meditations to hear
and understand the sweet listenings to Thy life-giving and divine commands;
and grant unto us through Thy grace and mercy to gather from them the
assurance of love, and hope, and salvation suitable to soul and body, and
we shall sing to Thee everlasting glory without ceasing and always, O Lord
of all.
On fast-days.
To Thee, the wise governor, etc.
V. Descending, he shall salute the Gospel, saying this prayer before the
altar.
Thee, the renowned seed of Thy Father, and the image of the person of
Thy Father, who wast revealed in the body of our humanity, and didst arise
to us in the light of Thy annunciation, Thee we thank, adore, etc.
And after the proclamation:(1)--
Thee, O Lord God Almighty, we beseech and entreat, perfect with us Thy
grace, and pour out through our hands Thy gift, the pity and compassion of
Thy divinity. May they be to us for the propitiation of the offences of Thy
people, and for the forgiveness of the sins of the entire flock of Thy
pasture, through Thy grace and tender mercies, O good friend of men, O Lord
of all.
VI. The Deacons say:--
Bow your heads.
The Priest says this secret prayer in the sanctuary:(2)--
O Lord God Omnipotent, Thine is the Holy Catholic Church, inasmuch as
Thou, through the great passion of Thy Christ, didst buy the sheep of Thy
pasture; and from the grace of the Holy Spirit, who is indeed of one nature
with Thy glorious divinity, are granted the degrees of the true priestly
ordination; and through Thy clemency Thou didst vouchsafe, O Lord, to make
our weakness spiritual members in the great body of Thy Holy Church, that
we might administer spiritual aid to faithful souls. Now, O Lord, perfect
Thy grace with us, and pour out Thy gift through our hands: and may Thy
tender mercies and the clemency of Thy divinity be upon us, and upon the
people whom Thou hast chosen for Thyself.
(Aloud.)
And grant unto us, O Lord, through Thy clemency, that we may all
together, and equally every day of our life, please Thy divinity, and be
rendered worthy of the aid of Thy grace to offer Thee praise, honour,
thanksgiving, and adoration at all times, O Lord.
VII. And the Deacons ascend to the altar, and say:--
He who has not received baptism, etc.(3)
And the Priest begins the responsory of the mysteries,(4) and the Sacristan
and Deacon place the disk and the chalice upon the altar. The Priest
crosses his hands, and says:(5)--
We offer praise to Thy glorious Trinity at all times and for ever.
And proceeds:--
May Christ, who was offered for our salvation, and commanded us to
commemorate His death and His resurrection, Himself receive this sacrifice
from the hands of our weakness, through His grace and mercies for ever.
Amen.
And proceeds:--
Laid are the renowned holy and life-giving mysteries upon the altar of
the mighty Lord, even until His advent, for ever.Amen.
Praise, etc.
Thy memory, etc.
Our Father, etc.
The apostles of the Father, etc.
Upon the holy altar, etc.
They who have slept, etc.
Matthew Mark, Luke, etc.(6)
THE CREED.(7)
VIII. The Priest draws near to celebrate, and thrice bows before the altar,
the middle of which he kisses, then the right and the left horn of the
altar; and bows to the Gospel side, and says:--
Bless, O Lord, etc.
Pray for me, my fathers, brethren, and masters, that God may grant unto
me the capability and power to perform this service to which I have drawn
near, and that this oblation may be accepted from the hands of my weakness,
for myself, for you, and for the whole body of the Holy Catholic Church,
through His grace and mercies for ever. Amen.
And they respond:--
May Christ listen to thy prayers, and be pleased with thy sacrifice,
receive thy oblation, and honour thy priesthood, and grant unto us, through
thy mediation,(8) the pardon of our offences, and the forgiveness of our
sins, through His grace and mercies for ever.
Presently he bows at the other side, uttering the same words; and they
respond in the same manner: then he bows to the altar, and says:--
God, Lord of all, be with us through His grace and mercies for ever.
Amen.
And bowing towards the Deacon, who is on the left(Epistle side), he says:--
God, the Lord of all, confirm thy words, and secure to thee peace, and
accept this oblation from my hands for me, for thee, for the whole body of
the Holy Catholic Church, and for the entire world, through His grace and
mercies for ever.
He kneels at the altar, and says in secret:--
IX. O our Lord and God, look not on the multitude of our sins, and let
not Thy dignity be turned away on account of the heinousness of our
iniquities; but through Thine unspeakable grace sanctify this sacrifice of
Thine, and grant through it power and capability, so that Thou mayest
forget our many sins, and be merciful when Thou shalt appear at the end of
time, in the man whom Thou hast assumed from among us, and we may find
before Thee grace and mercy, and be rendered worthy to praise Thee with
spiritual(1) assemblies.
He rises, and says this prayer in secret:--
We thank Thee, O our Lord and God, for the abundant riches of Thy grace
to us:
And he proceeds:--
Us who were sinful and degraded, on account of the multitude of Thy
clemency, Thou hast made worthy to celebrate the holy mysteries of the body
and blood of Thy Christ. We beg aid from Thee for the strengthening of our
souls, that in perfect love and true faith we may administer Thy gift to
us.
Canon.
And we shall ascribe to Thee praise, glory, thanksgiving, and
adoration, now, always, and for ever and ever.
He signs himself with the sign of the cross, and they respond:--
Amen.
X. And he proceeds:--
Peace be with you:
They respond:--
With thee and with thy spirit.
And they give the (kiss of) peace to each other, and say:--
For all:(2)
The Deacon says:--
Let us thank, entreat, and beseech.
The Priest says this prayer in secret:--
O Lord, mighty God, help my weakness through Thy clemency and the aid
of Thy grace; and make me worthy of offering before Thee this oblation, as
for the common aid of all, and to the praise of Thy Trinity, O Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost.
Another prayer.(3)
O our Lord and God, restrain our thoughts, that they wander not amid
the vanities of this world. O Lord our God, grant that I may be united to
the affection of Thy love, unworthy though I be. Glory be to Thee, O
Christ.
Ascend into the chamber of Thy renowned light, O Lord; sow in me the
good seed of humility; and under the wings of Thy grace hide me through Thy
mercy. If Thou wert to mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? Because
there is mercy with Thee.
[The Priest says the following prayer in secret:(4)--
O mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, beseech for me the only-begotten
Son, who was born of thee, to forgive me my offences and my sins, and to
accept from my feeble and sinful hands this sacrifice which my weakness
offers upon this altar, through thy intercession for me, O holy mother.]
XI. When the Deacon shall say, With watchfulness and care, etc.,
immediately the Priest rises up and uncovers the sacraments, taking away
the veil with which they were covered: he blesses the incense, and says a
canon with a loud voice:--
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and
the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with us all, now, etc.(5)
He signs the sacraments, and they respond:--
Amen.
The Priest proceeds:--
Lift up your minds:
They respond:--
They are towards Thee, O God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, O glorious
King.
The Priest.
The oblation is offered to God, the Lord of all.
They respond:--
It is meet and right.
The Deacon.
Peace be with you.
The Priest puts on the incense, and says this prayer:--
O Lord, Lord, grant me an open countenance before Thee, that with the
confidence which is from Thee we may fulfil this awful and divine sacrifice
with consciences free from all iniquity and bitterness. Sow in us, O Lord,
affection, peace, and concord towards each other, and toward every one.
And standing, he says in secret:(1)--
Worthy of glory from every mouth, and of thanksgiving from all tongues,
and of adoration and exaltation from all creatures, is the adorable and
glorious name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who created the world through
His grace, and its inhabitants through His clemency, who saved men through
His mercy, and showed great favour towards mortals. Thy majesty, O Lord,
thousands of thousands of heavenly spirits, and ten thousand myriads of
holy angels, hosts of spirits, ministers of fire and spirit, bless and
adore; with the holy cherubim and the spiritual seraphim they sanctify and
celebrate Thy name, crying and praising, without ceasing crying unto each
other.
They say with a loud voice:--
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty; full are the heavens and the earth
of His glory.
The Priest in secret:--
Holy, holy, holy art Thou, O Lord God Almighty; the heavens and the
earth are full of His glory and the nature of His essence, as they are
glorious with the honour of His splendour; as it is written, The heaven and
the earth are full of me, saith the mighty Lord.
Holy art Thou, O God our Father, truly the only one, of whom the whole
family in heaven and earth is named. Holy art Thou, Eternal Son, through
whom all things were made. Holy art Thou, Holy, Eternal Spirit, through
whom all things are sanctified.
Woe to me, woe to me, who have been astonied, because I am a man of
polluted lips, and dwell among a people of polluted lips, and my eyes have
seen the King, the mighty Lord. How terrible to-day is this place! For
this is none other than the house of God and the gate of heaven; because
Thou hast been seen eye to eye, O Lord.
Now, I pray, may Thy grace be with us, O Lord; purge away our
impurities, and sanctify our lips; unite the voices of our insignificance
with the sanctification of seraphim and archangels. Glory be to Thy tender
mercies, because Thou hast associated the earthly with the heavenly.(2)
And he proceeds, saying in secret this prayer, in a bowing posture:--
XII. And with those heavenly powers we give Thee thanks, even we, Thine
insignificant, pithless, and feeble servants; because Thou hast granted
unto us Thy great grace which cannot be repaid. For indeed Thou didst take
upon Thee our human nature, that Thou mightest bestow life on us through
Thy divinity; Thou didst exalt our low condition; Thou didst raise our
ruined state; Thou didst rouse up our mortality; Thou didst wash away our
sins; Thou didst blot out the guilt of our sins; Thou didst enlighten our
intelligence, and Thou didst condemn our enemy, O Lord our God; and Thou
didst cause the insignificance of our pithless nature to triumph.
Here follow the words of institution,(3) after which:--
Through the tender mercies of Thy grace poured out, O clement One,
pardon our offences and sins; blot out my offences in the judgment. And on
account of all Thy aids and Thy favours to us, we shall ascribe unto Thee
praise,(4) honour, thanksgiving, and adoration, now, always, and for ever
and ever.
The Priest signs the sacraments. The response is made.
Amen.
The Deacon.
In your minds. Pray for peace with us.
The Priest says this prayers bowing, and in a law voice:--
O Lord God Almighty, accept this oblation for the whole Holy Catholic
Church, and for all the pious and righteous fathers who have been pleasing
to Thee, and for all the prophets and apostles, and for all the martyrs and
confessors, and for all that mourn, that are in straits, and are sick, and
for all that are under difficulties and trials, and for all the weak and
the oppressed, and for all the dead that have gone from amongst us; then
for all that ask a prayer from our weakness, and for me, a degraded and
feeble sinner. O Lord our God, according to Thy mercies and the multitude
of Thy favours, look upon Thy people, and on me, a feeble man, not
according to my sins and my follies, but that they may become worthy of the
forgiveness of their sins through this holy body, which they receive with
faith, through the grace of Thy mercy for ever and ever. Amen.
The Priest says this prayer of inclination in secret:--
XIII. Do Thou, O Lord, through Thy many and ineffable mercies, make the
memorial good and acceptable with that of(1) all the pious and righteous
fathers who have been pleading before Thee in the commemoration of the body
and blood of Thy Christ, which we offer to Thee upon Thy pure and holy
altar, as Thou hast taught us; and grant unto us Thy rest all the days of
this life.
He proceeds with the Great Oblation:--
O Lord our God, bestow on us Thy rest and peace all the days of this
life, that all the inhabitants of the earth may know Thee, that Thou art
the only true God the Father, and Thou didst send our Lord Jesus Christ,
Thy Son and Thy beloved; and He Himself our Lord and God came and taught us
all purity and holiness. Make remembrance of prophets, apostles, martyrs,
confessors, bishops, doctors, priests, deacons, and all the sons of the
Holy Catholic Church who have been signed with the sign of life, of holy
baptism. We also, O Lord:
He proceeds:--
We, Thy degraded, weak, and feeble servants who are congregated in Thy
name, and now stand before Thee, and have received with joy the form which
is from Thee, praising, glorifying, and exalting, commemorate and celebrate
this great, awful, holy, and divine mystery of the passion, death, burial,
and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And may Thy Holy Spirit come, O Lord,(2) and rest upon this oblation of
Thy servants which they offer, and bless and sanctify it; and may it be
unto us, O Lord, for the propitiation of our offences and the forgiveness
of our sins, and for a grand hope of resurrection from the dead, and for a
new life in the kingdom of the heavens, with all who have been pleasing
before Him. And on account of the whole of Thy wonderful dispensation
towards us, we shall render thanks unto Thee, and glorify Thee without
ceasing in Thy Church, redeemed by the precious blood of Thy Christ, with
open mouths and joyful countenances:
Canon.
Ascribing praise,(3) honour, thanksgiving, and adoration to Thy holy,
loving, and life-giving name, now, always, and for ever.
The Priest signs the mysteries with the cross, and they respond:--
Amen.
The Priest bows himself and kisses the altar, first in the middle, then at
the two sides right and left, and says this prayer:(4)--
Have mercy upon me, O God, down to the words, and sinners shall be
converted unto Thee: and unto Thee lift I up mine eyes,(5) down to have
mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us. Also stretch forth Thy hand, and
let Thy right hand save me, O Lord; may Thy mercies remain upon me, O Lord,
for ever, and despise not the works of Thy hands.(6)
Then he says this prayer:--
XIV. O Christ, peace of those in heaven and great rest of those
below,(7) grant that Thy rest and peace may dwell in the four parts of the
world,(8) but especially in Thy Holy Catholic Church; grant that the
priesthood with the government may have peace; cause wars to cease from the
ends of the earth, and scatter the nations that delight in wars,(9) that we
may enjoy the blessing of living in tranquillity and peace, in all
temperance and fear of God. Spare the offences and sins of the dead,
through Thy grace and mercies for ever.
And to those who are around the altar he says:--
Bless, O Lord. Bless, O Lord.
And he puts on the incense with which he fumes himself, and says:--
Sweeten, O Lord our God, the unpleasing savour(10) of our souls through
the sweetness of Thy love, and through it cleanse me from the stains of my
sin, and forgive me my offences and sins, whether known or unknown to me.
A second time he takes the incense with both hands, and censes the
mysteries; presently he says:--
The clemency of Thy grace, O our Lord and God, gives us access to these
renowned, holy, life-giving, and divine mysteries, unworthy though we be.
The Priest repeats these wards once and again, and at each interval unites
his hands over his breast in the form of a cross. fie kisses the altar in
the middle, and receives with both hands the upper oblation; and looking
up, says:--
Praise be to Thy holy name, O Lord Jesus Christ, and adoration to Thy
majesty, always and for ever. Amen.
For He is the living and life-giving bread which cometh down from
heaven, and giveth life to the whole world, of which they who eat die not;
and they who receive it are saved by it, and do not see corruption, and
live through it for ever; and Thou art the antidote of our mortality,(1)
and the resurrection of our entire frame.(2)
XV.(3) * * *
XVI. Praise to Thy holy name, O Lord. (As above.)
The Priest kisses the host(4) in the form of a cross; in such a way,
however, that his lips do not touch it, but appear to kiss it; and he
says:--
Glory to Thee, O Lord; glory to Thee, O Lord, on account of Thine
unspeakable gift to us, for ever.
Then he draws nigh to the fraction of the host,(4) which he accomplishes
with both his hands, saying:--
We draw nigh, O Lord, with true faith, and break with thanksgiving and
sign through Thy mercy the body and blood of our Life-giver, Jesus Christ,
in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
And, naming the Trinity, he breaks the host,(4) which he holds in his
hands, into two parts: and the one which is in his left hand he lays down
on the disk; with the other, which he holds in his right hand, he signs the
chalice, saying:--
The precious blood is signed with the holy body of our Lord Jesus
Christ. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost for
ever.
And they respond:--
Amen.
Then he dips it even to the middle in the chalice, and signs with it the
body which is in the paten, saying:--
The holy body is signed with the propitiatory blood of our Lord Jesus
Christ. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost
for ever.
And they respond:--
Amen.
And he unites the two parts, the one with the other, saying:--
Divided, sanctified, completed, perfected, united, and commingled have
been these renowned, holy, life-giving, and divine mysteries, the one with
the other, in the adorable and glorious name of Thy glorious Trinity, O
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, that they may be to us, O Lord, for the
propitiation of our offences and the forgiveness of our sins; also for the
grand hope of a resurrection from the dead, and of a new life in the
kingdom of the heavens, for us and for the Holy Church of Christ our Lord,
here and in every place whatsoever, now and always, and for ever.
XVII. In the meantime he signs the host(5) with his right thumb in the form
of a cross from the lower part to the upper, and from the right to the
left, and thus forms a slight fissure in it where it has been dipped in the
blood. He puts a part of it into the chalice in the farm of a cross: the
lower part is placed towards the priest, the upper towards the chalice, so
that the place of the fissure looks to the chalice. He bows, and rising,
says:--
Glory be to Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, who hast made me, unworthy
though I be, through Thy grace, a minister and mediator of Thy renowed,
holy, life-giving, and divine mysteries: through the grace of Thy mercy,
make me worthy of the pardon of my offences and the forgiveness of my sins.
He signs himself with the sign of the cross an his forehead, and does the
same to those standing round him.(1)
The Deacons approach, and he signs each one of them an the forehead,
saying:--
Christ accept thy ministry: Christ cause thy face to shine: Christ save
thy life: Christ make thy youth to grow.
And they respond:--
Christ accept thy oblation.
XVIII. All return to their own place; and the Priest, after bowing, rises
and says, in the tone of the Gospel:--
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and
the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with us all.
The Priest signs himself, and lifts up his hand over his head, so that it
should be in the air, and the people be partakers in the singing:--
The Deacon says:--
We all with fear, etc.
And at these words:--
He hath given to us His mysteries:
The Priest begins to break(2) the body, and says:--
Be merciful, O Lord, through Thy clemency to the sins and follies of
Thy servants, and sanctify our lips through Thy grace, that they may give
the fruits of glory and praise to Thy divinity, with all Thy saints in Thy
kingdom.
And, raising his voice, he says:--
And make us worthy, O Lord our God, to stand before Thee continually
without stain, with pure heart, with open countenance, and with the
confidence which is from Thee, mercifully granted to us: and let us all
with one accord invoke Thee, and say thus: Our Father, etc.
The People say:--
Our Father, etc.
The Priest.(3)
O Lord God Almighty, O Lord and our good God, who art full of mercy, we
beg Thee, O Lord our God, and beseech the clemency of Thy goodness; lead us
not into temptation, but deliver and save us from the evil one and his
hosts; because Thine is the kingdom, the power, the strength, the might,
and the dominion in heaven and on earth, now and always.
He signs himself, and they respond:--
Amen.
XIX. And he proceeds:--
Peace be with you.
They respond:--
With thee and with thy spirit.
He proceeds:--
It is becoming that the holy things should be to the holy in
perfection.
And they say:--
One holy Father: one holy Son: one Holy Ghost. Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Deacon.
Praise ye.
And they say the responsory. And when the Deacon comes to carry the
chalice, he says:--
Let us pray for peace with us.
The Priest says:--
The grace of the Holy Ghost be with thee, with us, and with those who
receive Him.
And he gives the chalice to the Deacon.The Deacon says:--
Bless, O Lord.
The Priest.
The gift of the grace of our Life-giver and Lord Jesus Christ be
completed, in mercies, with all.
And he signs the people with the cross. In the meantime the responsories
are said.
Brethren, receive the body of the Son, cries the Church, and drink ye
His chalice with faith in the house of His kingdom.
On feast-days.
Strengthen, O Lord, etc.
On the Lord's day.
O Lord Jesus Christ, etc.
Daily.
The mysteries which we have received, etc.
The responsories being ended, the Deacon says:--
All therefore, etc.
And they respond:--
Glory be to Himself on account of His ineffable gift.
The Deacon.
Let us pray for peace with us.
The Priest at the middle of the altar says this prayer:(1)--
XX. It is meet, O Lord, just and right in all days, times, and hours,
to thank, adore, and praise the awful name of Thy majesty, because Thou
hast through Thy grace, O Lord, made us, mortal men possessing a frail
nature, worthy to sanctify Thy name with the heavenly(2) beings, and to
become partakers of the mysteries of Thy gift, and to be delighted with the
sweetness of Thy oracles. And voices of glory and thanksgiving we ever
offer up to Thy sublime divinity, O Lord.
Another.
Christ, our God, Lord, King, Saviour, and Life-giver, through His grace
has made us worthy to receive His body and His precious and all-sanctifying
blood. May He grant unto us that we may be pleasing unto Him in our words,
works, thoughts, and deeds, so that that pledge which we have received may
be to us for the pardon of our offences, the forgiveness of our sins, and
the grand hope of a resurrection from the dead, and a new and true life in
the kingdom of the heavens, with all who have been pleasing before Him,
through His grace and His mercies for ever.
On ordinary days.
Praise, O Lord, honour, blessing, and thanksgiving we ought to ascribe
to Thy glorious Trinity for the gift of Thy holy mysteries, which Thou hast
given to us for the propitiation of our offences, O Lord of all.
Another.
Blessed be Thy adorable honour, from Thy glorious place, O Christ, the
propitiator of our offences and our sins, and who takest away our follies
through Thy renowned, holy, life-giving, and divine mysteries. Christ the
hope of our nature always and for ever. Amen.
Obsignation or final benediction.
May our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom we have ministered, and whom we have
seen and honoured in His renowned, holy, life-giving, and divine mysteries,
Himself render us worthy of the splendid glory of His kingdom, and of
gladness with His holy angels, and for confidence before Him, that we may
stand at His right hand.
And on our entire congregation may His mercies and compassion be
continually poured out, now and always, and ever.
On the Lord's day and on feast-days.
May He Himself who blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the
heavens, through Jesus Christ our Lord, and prepared us for His kingdom,
and called us to the desirable good things which neither cease nor perish,
as He promised to us in His life-giving Gospel, and said to the blessed
congregation of His disciples--Verily, verily I say unto you, that every
one who eateth my body and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him,
and I will raise him up at the last day; and he cometh not to judgment, but
I will make him pass from death to eternal life:
May He Himself now bless this congregation, and maintain our position,
and render glorious our people who have come and rejoiced in receiving His
renowned, holy, life-giving, and divine mysteries; and may ye be sealed and
guarded by the holy sign of the Lord's cross from all evils, secret and
open, now and always.
Taken from "The Early Church Fathers and Other Works" originally published
by Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. in English in Edinburgh, Scotland, beginning in
1867. (ANF 7, Roberts and Donaldson). The digital version is by The
Electronic Bible Society, P.O. Box 701356, Dallas, TX 75370, 214-407-WORD.
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EWTN On-Line Services
PO Box 3610
Manassas, VA 22110
Voice: 703-791-2576
Fax: 703-791-4250
Data: 703-791-4336
FTP: ftp.ewtn.com
Telnet: ewtn.com
WWW: http://www.ewtn.com.
Email address: sysop@ewtn.com
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